This chapter presents recommendations for strengthening social resilience as a foundation of national security and democracy in the Baltic States. Drawing on the previous chapters in this book, this chapter identifies seven primary areas for improvement along with several best practices to strengthen democratic resilience: civic education and rituals, collective memory and commemoration, volunteer engagement, patriotism and identity, policy integration, government-civil society coordination, and public communication. It also emphasizes the importance of practical training, NGO empowerment and resilience mapping as tools for preparedness and adaptive governance. The recommendations are structured around three pillars: (i) fostering emotional bonds that strengthen national resilience, (ii) political commitment to institutionalize resilience across sectors, and (iii) operationalizing multilevel resilience through training, empowerment, and data-driven practices. This chapter highlights the unique challenges of small states facing hybrid threats and demographic fragmentation, and advocates for inclusive, culturally grounded strategies. The recommendations emphasize that social resilience must not only be a reactive defence mechanism, but also a proactive societal value embedded in everyday civic life, policymaking, and democratic engagement.

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Recommendations in Strengthening Social Resilience for National Security in the Baltics

  • Rasa Smaliukienė,
  • David Schultz

摘要

This chapter presents recommendations for strengthening social resilience as a foundation of national security and democracy in the Baltic States. Drawing on the previous chapters in this book, this chapter identifies seven primary areas for improvement along with several best practices to strengthen democratic resilience: civic education and rituals, collective memory and commemoration, volunteer engagement, patriotism and identity, policy integration, government-civil society coordination, and public communication. It also emphasizes the importance of practical training, NGO empowerment and resilience mapping as tools for preparedness and adaptive governance. The recommendations are structured around three pillars: (i) fostering emotional bonds that strengthen national resilience, (ii) political commitment to institutionalize resilience across sectors, and (iii) operationalizing multilevel resilience through training, empowerment, and data-driven practices. This chapter highlights the unique challenges of small states facing hybrid threats and demographic fragmentation, and advocates for inclusive, culturally grounded strategies. The recommendations emphasize that social resilience must not only be a reactive defence mechanism, but also a proactive societal value embedded in everyday civic life, policymaking, and democratic engagement.